James cadwell



No. 6|5,803. Patented De.- I3, |898 J. CADWELL.

cAR couPLlNG.

(Application led Fab. 8, 1898.) (No Model.)

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"d//f /I L? r/' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES OADVELL, OF MILL RUN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO AUSTINE. NICHOLSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 615,803, datedDecember 13,1898.

Application filed February 8, 1898. Serial No. 669,557. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES CADWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mill Run, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Oar- Ooupling, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcar-couplin gs and to provide a simple, strong, and efficient onecapable of coupling automatically and adapted to be readily uncoupledwithout going between cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling whichwill also be adapted to couple with the ordinary pin-and-linkcar-coupling and which will uncouple automatically should a car beoverturned, whereby one car will be prevented from dragging another downan embankment.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed ont in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to acar. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing two draw-heads coupled. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the same, the parts being arranged preparatory toautomatic coupling. Fig. 4 is a transverse view of one of thedraw-heads. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw-head mounted on a car 2 in the usual manner andprovided at one side with a longitudinal opening 3 and at the oppositeside of the center with a longitudinal socket 4, both the opening 3 andthe socket 4: extending entirely through the drawhead from top to bottomto prevent accumulation of water, dirt, or the like.

Within the longitudinal opening 3 is secured a swinging link 5, which ismounted on a transverse rock-shaft 6, and the said link 5,

which is provided at its outer end with a ball or a head 7, is adaptedto engage the socket 4. of a corresponding draw-head. The socket et iscontracted at the front of the draw-head to provide a narrowentrance-slot to receive the stem or shank of the link and to forminterior shoulders for engaging the spherical head or ball 7. The ballsof the links of two draw-heads provide ball-and-socket connec- 6o tionsand permit the necessary play of the parts, so that there will be nolateral strain on the draw-heads when rounding a curve.

The draw-head is provided with a longitudinal link-opening 8, which-isintersected by tangnlar eye or opening of the inner end of the link,whereby the latter is rigid with the rock-shaft. The arm 10 is connectedwith an arm 11 of a transverse shaft 12 by a chain 13, and the shaft 12,which extends transversely of the oar, is provided at opposite sides ofthe 8o same with handles and is adapted yto enable the car-coupling tobe uncoupled and to be set for automatic coupling from the sides of carswithout going between them. An operating-chain 14C is connected withvthe chain 13 85 and extends upward through an opening in the platform ofthe car 2; but it may extend to the top of the box-car, so that thecoupling may beoperated from that point.

The link, as shown in Fig. 5 of the accom- 9o panying drawings, isarranged slightly beyond a perpendicular position when swung upward andset for automatic coupling, and it is mounted on the shaft G at a pointbetween its ends to provide an arm or portion 15, which depends from theshaft when the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 5. The arm or portion15 is arranged adjacent to the front of the drawehead when the parts areset, and it is adapted to be engaged by a push- 10o bar or plunger 16,passing through a perforation of the draw-head and projecting beyoud thesame in position to be struck by an approaching draw-head. When twoparts come together for coupling, the push-bars are forced inward andthe links are thrown downward an d outward into engagement with thesockets of the draw-heads, whereby the cars are coupled.

In order to cushion the fall of the links and prevent them from beingcracked or otherwise injured by being thrown forward quickly, eachdraw-head is provided at its side having its operating-arm 10 with aweighted bell-crank lever 17, adapted to be engaged by an arm 18,mounted on the opposite side of each draw-head and rigidly secured tothe rock-shaft. The bell-crank lever 17, which is fulcrumed at itsangle, has a lower or downwardly-extending weighted arm, and its otherarm, which extends upward and outward, is provided with alaterally-disposed portion 19, arranged to receive the arm 17. Thebellcrank lever swings when struck and is thereby adapted to cushion thefall of the links. The upper edge of the arm 18 is beveled near itsouter end, and the said arm is adapted in swinging upward for uncouplingto pass the bell-crank lever readily.

The invention has the following advantages: The car-coupling, which issimple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is strong anddurable and positive and reliable in operation, is capable ofcou plingautomatically, and is adapted to be readily uncoupled without goingbetween cars. The slots or openings for the links and the balls of thesame extend entirely through the draw-heads, so that there is noliability of the part-s becoming clogged by accumulation of ice or dirt.The links are thrown down quickly when two cars come together forcoupling, and they are cushioned to prevent them from being injured bysuch rapid movement.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

That I claim is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, alink pivotally mounted on the draw-head and adapted to engage acorresponding draw-head, an arm connected with the link and arranged atone side of the drawhead, and a weighted lever loosely pivoted at theother side of the draw-head and arranged to be engaged by the arm ofanother drawhead, whereby the link is cushioned, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a link pivotallymounted on the draw-head and adapted to engage a correspondingdraw-head, a weighted bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on thedraw-head at one side thereof and provided with a laterally-extendingportion, and an arm arranged at the opposite side of the draw-head,connected with the link and adapted to engage a lever of a correspondingdraw-head, whereby the link is cushioned, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a link, anoscillating arm connected with the link and located out of the plane ofthe same, and a cushioning device arranged to be engaged by the arm whenthe link falls, said cushioning device being mounted independently ofthe arm, whereby the link may be raised without affecting the cushioningdevice,substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination of a dra\v-head,a rock-shaftmounted on the drawhead and provided at one side thereof` with anoperating-arm, an arm 18 mounted on the rock-shaft at the other side ofthe draw-head, a link mounted on the rock-shaft, a push-bar adapted toproject from the draw-head and arranged to engage the link, whereby itis thrown down ward, operating mechanism connected with theoperating-arm, and a cushion arranged to be engaged by the arm 1S,substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a link pivotallymounted on the draw-head and adapted to engage a correspondingdraw-head, an arm connected with the link, and a weighted lever looselypivoted on the draw-head and capable of operation independently of thesaid link and arranged to cushion the fall of a link of a correspondingdraw-head, substantially as described.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination of a link, an arm connected withthe link, and a draw-head provided with a weighted bellcrank leverloosely pivoted at its angle on the draw-head and provided at one sidewith a laterally-disposed portion, adapted to cushion the fall of thelink of a corresponding drawhead, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES CADIVELL.

IVitnesses:

J. D. SLATER, W. H. DULL.

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